Turnabout Advent
by xshieldmaidenx
Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays, Edgeworth is a Scrooge, and Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.  Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright
1. Chapter 1

Title: Turnabout Advent

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Maya Fey, Pearl, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe

Pairing: Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250)

Rating: T for light slash/boylove/yaoi/gayness and mentions of murder.

Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays; Edgeworth is a Scrooge; Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.

A/N: Okay, guys! Here is my, now-annual, Advent Calendar Fic! 25 days of a fic! (One chapter for every day until Christmas)

This year, the theme is Turnabout, and that means Edgeworth/Phoenix. It's set after PW3 and Ace Investigations. There will be mystery! There will be laughter! There will be slash! There will be pointless holiday mirth! There will also be a murder! Because nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like a dead person! No, but seriously. You can't have a Phoenix Wright fic without a case, so someone had to die. Luckily, it's an OC, so no one will really care too much! The first few chapters will be mostly about getting ready for the holidays, but the plot and slash will come, I promise! So, without further ado, welcome to the fic, and happy holidays!

December 1

"That was amazing, Nick!" Maya cheered excitedly as they exited the courtroom and entered the defense lobby.

"One of these days, you're going to stop being so impressed with these turnabout victories." Phoenix shook his head, but he, too, was smiling broadly.

"Oh, I doubt that. Going to court with you is always exciting! You're like a superhero, but… not. So you're like a super lawyer!"

"Okay, now you're just buttering me up so I'll buy you burgers."

"Yup!"

"Fine…" Phoenix sighed. He nodded to his opponent from earlier, Winston Payne, as they left the courthouse. Maya's favorite burger place was only a short walk from the courthouse, so within moments they were seated in their usual booth with two cups of cola.

"Mmm, I love the smell of burgers after an amazing courtroom success." Maya happily sipped at her drink. "So… how are we going to decorate the office this year?"

"…decorate?" the lawyer stared at her blankly.

"You know! For Christmas!" she replied, exasperated. "It's December now, we need to start planning!"

"Um… I'll probably put a Santa hat on Charlie—"

"No no no! Think bigger! I'm thinking lights and fake snow and a reindeer and—" Her train of thought was immediately derailed by the arrival of their food. "Wow. These look amazing."

Thankful for the change of topic, Phoenix quickly jumped in and started a discussion on the quality and types of burgers, successfully distracting her for the rest of their time together.


	2. December 2

Title: Turnabout Advent

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Maya Fey, Pearl, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe

Pairing: Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Total (412)

Rating: T for light slash/boylove/yaoi/gayness and mentions of murder.

Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays; Edgeworth is a Scrooge; Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.

A/N: Okay, guys! Here is my, now-annual, Advent Calendar Fic! 25 days of a fic! (One chapter for every day until Christmas)

This year, the theme is Turnabout, and that means Edgeworth/Phoenix. It's set after PW3 and Ace Investigations. There will be mystery! There will be laughter! There will be slash! There will be pointless holiday mirth! There will also be a murder! Because nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like a dead person! No, but seriously. You can't have a Phoenix Wright fic without a case, so someone had to die. Luckily, it's an OC, so no one will really care too much! The first few chapters will be mostly about getting ready for the holidays, but the plot and slash will come, I promise! So, without further ado, welcome to the fic, and happy holidays!

December 2

The next time Maya brought up the 'Christmas Decoration Dilemma' was, unfortunately for Phoenix, only the next day.

"Next week!" he finally threw his hands up in exasperation. "We will put up decorations next week."

"But Niiiiiick!" Maya pouted. "We don't even have any decorations to put up!"

"We'll get some next week, then."

"But that time, you'll have another case, and we'll be too busy to shop properly, and we'll end up rushing and buying really lame-looking decorations and the office will look horrible!"

"…will you leave me alone if I promise to take you shopping tomorrow?"

"Consider me gone." She grinned, plopping down on the couch and turning on the television. Satisfied, Phoenix returned to balancing his checkbook. For the first time in months, all of the numbers evened out, leaving him with more than enough to get by on until his next case.

_/Looks like Maya will get to decorate to her heart's content./_ He thought grimly.


	3. December 3

Title: Turnabout Advent

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Maya Fey, Pearl, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe

Pairing: Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401) Total (813)

Rating: T for light slash/boylove/yaoi/gayness and mentions of murder.

Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays; Edgeworth is a Scrooge; Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.

December 3

"Lights, Nick! We need more lights!"

At Phoenix's reluctant nod, Maya happily tossed five more boxes of lights into their cart. There were already several wreaths and bows as well as a sprig of mistletoe, to Phoenix's dismay, in the cart.

"You do realize that there is no way you can use all of this on the office, right?" he asked wearily.

"We're not putting all this in your office!" Phoenix was naïve enough to heave a sigh of relief at this before she continued. "We're putting some of it in your apartment!"

"Says who?"

"Says me. Ooo! Look, Nick! They have bright pink Christmas trees!"

"No. Absolutely not."

Maya pouted, but settled on a regular green tree with a grin. "This is the one."

"You sure? I mean, it's only a few inches taller than Pearls. You don't want a bigger one?" Phoenix asked, surprised.

"No, this one's perfect." She shook her head. "It's Pearl-sized. She'll love it."

Phoenix couldn't help but grin as he imagined the little girl's expression upon seeing the tree.

"Say, Nick…" Maya said, suddenly much more serious.

"Yes, Maya?"

"I was thinking—"

"Never a good thing." He interjected good-naturedly.

"Oh, shush." Maya waved him off. "Why don't Pearls and I stay with you for the whole week of Christmas?" She looked up at him hopefully.

"I…don't think that's such a good idea." Phoenix frowned.

"Aw, why not? We'd be on our best behavior and—"

"Isn't Christmas Eve kinda a big deal for your clan?"

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't miss us."

"Something tells me that they would, Mystic Maya." He chuckled and nudged her.

Maya stopped, clutching her arm as her gaze drifted to the dirty floor of the store. "We both hate the midnight ceremony, though… Christmas… isn't really Christmas in the village. It's strict, and serious, and I want Pearls to have a real Christmas for the first time in her life."

Phoenix's gaze softened as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell you what… You girls can come down on Christmas day. Then, I'll let you stay with me until New Years. How does that sound?"

"Really, Nick, You're the best!" Maya smiled up at him, tears in the corners of her eyes. And just like that, her Christmas cheer was magically restored and she was able to resume her shopping duties, relentlessly dragging Phoenix through the store.


	4. December 4

Title: Turnabout Advent

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Maya Fey, Pearl, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe

Pairing: Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605) Total (1418)

Rating: T for light slash/boylove/yaoi/gayness and mentions of murder.

Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays; Edgeworth is a Scrooge; Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.

December 4

Despite Phoenix's insistence that they wouldn't start decorating until the next week, he still found a festive wreath on the door of his office.

"Maya, I said you could store the decorations here, not start decorating!" he exclaimed, but fell silent as he saw that she was not alone in the office. "I am so sorry. I didn't know Maya had a guest!" Phoenix quickly apologized to the stranger sitting next to the couch.

"This isn't a guest, Nick! She's a client!" Maya replied cheerfully.

_/Oh, great. Now I look like an idiot in front of a potential client…/_ Phoenix inwardly groaned, but smiled anyway.

"I'm Phoenix Wright, defense attorney." he offered the other girl his hand. "And you are..?"

"Kay. Kay Faraday." The girl shook his hand eagerly. "And she's using the term 'client' very loosely, I'm afraid."

"How so?" Phoenix frowned.

"You and I have a mutual friend. I want you to find him, and I'm willing to pay you for your services."

He gave her an odd look while Maya just clasped her hands and nodded excitedly. "And who, pray tell, is this 'mutual friend' of ours?"

"Miles Edgeworth."

As soon as the name left her lips, something in Phoenix snapped. He'd spent almost a year now, not knowing where he was, or if he'd ever see him again, and once again, he'd had to block all of those feelings behind a firm mental wall. Yet all at once, every feeling he'd ever had for Miles Edgeworth came back to the surface, breaking his heart all over again.

Finally, he spoke.

"Well, I won't require you to pay me. Edgeworth—" even saying the name made his heart clench painfully. "—is out of the country. I'm afraid I can't help you."

"I'm already ahead of you there, Mr. Wright." Faraday grinned. "He's back in his old office as of yesterday. I was with him while he was overseas, assisting him in his cases, and when he said he was coming back here, I followed him."

"You mean Mr. Edgeworth is here?" Maya asked, mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Mhm. He's been keeping tabs on you, Mr. Wright. That's how I knew that you were the only one that could help."

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. If you know where he is, then why do you need me to find him?" Phoenix frowned.

"No, it's me who should apologize. I wasn't very clear." She smiled sheepishly. "I need you to find him…metaphorically. He hasn't been himself. Even when we met last year, I could tell something was off. Edgeworth hasn't been in a courtroom since his last case against you, if I understand him correctly. He needs to be a prosecutor, Mr. Wright. And that's why I need you."

"Let me get this straight… You want me to convince him to come back to the courtroom?"

"If anyone can do it, I'm sure it's you." Faraday nodded.

Phoenix sighed. "Can I think about it and get back to you, Ms. Faraday?"

"Of course. And please, call me Kay." She rose to her feet. "I'll be in touch."

And with no further warning, she launched herself out of the open window.

"Holy cow!" Maya exclaimed as she and Phoenix ran to the window. On the street below, they could see the departing form of the somehow uninjured girl. After a moment, Maya turned to Phoenix. "You gonna do it?"

"I…I haven't decided yet."

Sensing that he didn't want to talk about it, Maya dropped the subject and dragged him over to the couch where drawings of her decorating plans lay scattered.


	5. December 5

Title: Turnabout Advent

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Maya Fey, Pearl, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe

Pairing: Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605) Chapter 5 (140) Total (1558)

Rating: T for light slash/boylove/yaoi/gayness and mentions of murder.

Summary: Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl get ready for the holidays; Edgeworth is a Scrooge; Kay really just wants everyone to be happy.

December 5- Miles Edgeworth POV

Within moments of arriving back in his old office, Edgeworth was flooded with memories, most pertaining to a certain defense attorney.

"How long are you gonna be here this time, Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe asked from the doorway, interrupting his train of thought.

"I have not determined the duration of my stay just yet."

Gumshoe smiled happily. "Well, I hope that means a long time. It'd be great to be here for Christmas, and we all miss having ya around here."

At Edgeworth's look of disbelief, he amended his statement. "I miss ya. Not sure about anybody else."

Edgeworth smirked lightly, tossing a manila envelope at the detective. "I need that analyzed. Get it back to me as soon as possible."

Edgeworth merely rolled his eyes as Gumshoe was grinning like an idiot as he left.


	6. December 6

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (140), Chapter 6 (195), Total (1753)

December 6

"So have you seen Mr. Wright yet?" Gumshoe asked amiably the next day at the crime scene of a theft.

"No. I haven't seen the need to converse with Wright." Edgeworth replied shortly.

"But you had me 'look after' him while you were gone and I thought—"

"I had you keep tabs on Wright so I would know if he was still acting like an imbecile and making a mockery of our court system." He interrupted sternly. "I had no interest in Wright's well-being."

"Sure doesn't seem that way…" Gumshoe chuckled.

"Please. Feel free to regale me with your stories of how much I secretly care as I dock your pay by the minute."

Gumshoe's mouth snapped shut immediately. "Sorry, Mr. Edgeworth, sir."

"Apology accepted." With a final visual sweep of the crime scene, Edgeworth sighed. "We might as well call it a day. There is nothing more to be found here."

"Yes, sir!" Gumshoe saluted. Once Edgeworth had sped off in his car, the detective scratched his chin thoughtfully. After a moment of silent contemplation, he decided to pay a visit to the offices of Wright & Co. the next day.


	7. December 7

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Total (2168)

December 7

"Detective Gumshoe!" Maya greeted him excitedly. She was covered in glittery strands and had green pine needles in her hair and all over her clothes.

"Hullo there, Maya. Is now a bad time?" he coughed awkwardly.

"Ignore Maya. She's insane." Phoenix laughed, plucking one of the silver strands off her shirt. "What brings you here?"

"Well… um… it's hard to say." Gumshoe shifted uncomfortably.

"Come on in." Phoenix moved so he could pass by.

"It's… um… it's about Mr. Edgeworth." Seeing Phoenix's face fall into a displeased frown, Gumshoe placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't frown, pal. It's nuthin' bad. I was just wonderin' if you'd heard from him or not."

"No, but I've heard he's in town…"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I see him at the office everyday. I just wanted to know if you'd seen or talked to him."

"No, but some girl wanted us to find him!" Maya piped up.

"Find him?" Gumshoe blinked.

"Well, it's more complex than that." Phoenix shook his head. "She wants us to get him back into the courtroom."

"That's great! I mean, you two make a great team! That's what's got him so down lately…" the detective said excitedly. "He needs to be back in court, opposite you, pal!"

"I'm not so sure about that…" Phoenix muttered.

Gumshoe gave him an odd look, but Maya quickly jumped in, talking a mile a minute. "Not to worry, Gumshoe. He'll come around. But in the meantime, we've got some decorations to organize, and we're sure you're busy, so you probably have to go, but why don't you come back in a couple of days to help us decorate?" She looked up at him hopefully.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, pal. I'll see ya then." Gumshoe nodded, patting her on the head before walking out the door.

Once they were alone, Maya gave Phoenix an inquisitive look, but he waved her off. "So which set of lights are we using here?"

She sighed and gestured to one of the boxes of lights. Silently, she wondered if Phoenix and Edgeworth would ever get along again.


	8. December 8

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424) Total (2592)

December 8

"Hello, Mr. Wright."

"Gah!" Phoenix yelped, dropping his briefcase in the doorway as he saw the girl from days ago sitting on his couch.

"How did—how did you get in here?" He demanded.

"I have my ways." Faraday replied ominously.

"Yeah? Well you'd better tell me about these 'ways' of yours or I'll call the cops." Was Phoenix's stern reply.

"Okay, okay!" she held up her hands defensively. "My line of work is… complicated. And it's given me a set of skills, which I only use for good, I swear."

Phoenix paused for a moment, wondering if he really wanted the answer to the question he was about to ask. He sighed, then asked anyway. "…are you a felon?"

"Not in this country!" Faraday smiled cheerfully. "So, sorry for breaking into your office. But, it was cold outside, and I didn't know when you'd be coming in this morning!"

"Fine, fine. You're forgiven." Phoenix sighed. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to know if you've made any progress with Project Edgeworth."

"Well, I mean, he hasn't contacted me yet—"

"No, no!" she shook her head emphatically. "You have to contact him. If he had it his way, he would go back to Europe without even talking to you."

"So why should I participate in 'Project Edgeworth'? It's obvious he doesn't care and—"

"But you do." Kay's eyes sparkled as she replied quietly. "It's all over your face whenever we talk about him."

Phoenix flushed. "I don't care—"

"Yes, you do. You care about everyone you meet. It's just that you care a little bit more about Mr. Edgeworth than anyone else." She shrugged. "And even if he won't admit it, he needs you. You're the only one who can wake him up, bring him back to who he was."

"And what makes you think that anything I do or say will affect him?"

"Because, Wright. He cares about you. And I know you won't believe me, and he would deny it himself, but I'm right." She sighed and rose to her feet. "But I can see I'm just wasting both of our time. I'll leave you to" she gestured to the mess cluttering the office. "…whatever this is."

With another disheartened sigh and a two-fingered salute, she was out the window.

"She really ought to use the door…" Phoenix frowned, leaning down to pick up some of the scattered tinsel. But even as he tried to distract himself with cleaning, her words ran through his mind.

"_He cares about you."_


	9. December 9

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563) Total (3155)

A/N: Okay I am so incredibly sorry I haven't updated in the past few days. My family and I are moving and no one told me I would be without Internet for a few days because we're camping before hitting the road. So that was a massive fail on my part. Here are the days I missed, and I'll try to post tomorrow's chapter then. Thank you for your patience and I hope you've enjoyed the story!

December 9

"Alrighty! Now that we've organized everything—"

"You call this organized?" Phoenix muttered under his breath. Gumshoe, who had stopped by only moments earlier to help decorate, chuckled until Maya shot them both a glare, then continued.

"We can start decorating!"

"This is so exciting!" Pearl clapped. Seeing her excitement dissolved Phoenix's dour mood instantly. After all, this was the little girl's first real Christmas, and they all wanted her to enjoy it more than anything else.

"I'm glad you're on board, Pearly!" Maya grinned. "I'm going to need your help to get Nick in the Christmas spirit!"

"Hey! I am in the Christmas spirit!" Phoenix protested.

"You are? Great! Then you'll have no problem coming with us to pick out a tree for your apartment today!"

So, moments later, they all piled into a car that Gumshoe had borrowed from the precinct and headed for a nearby tree farm. Pearl's eyes were wide as saucers as they got out of the car.

"Are we in a forest of some kind, Mystic Maya?" She asked, clinging to the fabric of the other girl's clothes.

"Don't be afraid, Pearly. This is like a store, but for trees." Maya patted her on the head. "Like, you know the little tree we have at the office?" Pearl nodded, so she continued. "Well most Christmas trees are bigger than that. The one we're going to put at Nick's place is gonna be HUGE! And he's gonna put lots of presents under it for us, right Nick?"

Sighing, Phoenix nodded. "But don't expect too much."

"Oh, you know we'll be grateful for anything you get us, Nick. Even socks." She smiled. "C'mon, Pearls! Let's go find a tree!" She took the little girl by the hand and led her down one of the aisles of trees.

"Have you talked to Mr. Edgeworth yet, pal?" Gumshoe asked once the girls were out of earshot.

"No." Phoenix frowned. "I…chose not to take the case."

"But, pal! He needs you!"

"Listen, I really don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Gumshoe frowned and they walked on in silence until they were interrupted.

"Nick! Look who we found!" Maya said excitedly, dragging Pearl along behind her as well as a familiar man.

"Oh, great. Hey, Larry." Phoenix grimaced, then smiled as Larry rushed at him.

"It's been too long! You've come to support your friend's new business, right?" Larry Butz asked, trying to use puppy dog eyes to convince Phoenix.

"Don't tell me. You're a Christmas tree farmer now?" Phoenix groaned, while Larry just nodded excitedly.

"Yep! My girlfriend, Jassandra, helped me set it up. She's a—"

"Model. I know." Phoenix laughed. "You never change, do you?"

"What can I say? I have good taste!" Larry grinned. "So whataya say? Wanna buy a tree from me?"

Pearl and Maya had joined him with their own puppy dog eyes, and Phoenix sighed in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. Show me the one you want."

The girls and Larry cheered and Maya started pulling him in the direction of the tree she wanted. Phoenix reluctantly forked over the cash, and breathed a sigh of relief when Larry said that he'd hired other people to attach the trees to the tops of cars. He really didn't want to think about how much damage Larry would have caused had he insisted to do it himself.


	10. December 10

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287) Total (3442)

December 10

The next morning, Maya decided it was time to start decorating. She and Pearl had stayed at Phoenix's house the night before and were therefore able to wake him up at the crack of dawn and drag him to the office as soon as he was ready to go.

Phoenix suppressed a yawn as Maya and Pearl began bustling around the office. Within moments, Maya had a plan of action ready.

"Alright Pearly! Hope you're ready to get busy!"

"But Mystic Maya…" Pearl bit her thumb nervously. "I've never done this before.. .What if I mess it up?"

"That's the great thing about Christmas." Phoenix smiled at her reassuringly. "As long as you're having fun, it's impossible to mess anything up. Christmas is all about the memories, not the decorations and stuff."

Bright smiles from both Maya and Pearl told Phoenix he'd said the right thing.

"Plus, I've got a plan. So as long as we stick to the plan, everything will look amazing." Maya added with a grin. "So are you ready, Pearls?"

"Alright! I'm ready!"

"Okay, so first, we're gonna put lights up inside the windows, so people outside can see them. Then we're gonna put some of this garland, that's the fuzzy green stuff there, around the desk. And we'll put a wreath in the middle, then put tinsel on all of it."

"What's tinsel?" Pearl asked.

"That's the shiny stuff over here, Pearls." Phoenix smiled and handed her a handful out of the box.

"Thank you!" She smiled happily and skipped over to where Maya was waiting with the garland.

As once again, his office became trashed, Phoenix couldn't help but feel as though this would be the best Christmas ever.


	11. December 11

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455) Total (3897)

A/N: Okay, so there will be next to no mention of Christmas for the next few chapters because *drumroll* THE PLOT IS HERE! And by plot, I mean the case. We've got a murder on our hands, folks! First person to review this chapter gets to choose/make up one of the witnesses for the case!

December 11

"Bye, Nick! We'll see you on Christmas!" Maya and Pearl waved as Phoenix boarded the train. He'd spent the day with them at Kurain Village, telling Pearl stories about Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer, and most importantly, Santa Clause. Luckily, he'd managed to catch the last train of the night to get back home.

Once the train ride was over, Phoenix remembered that his phone had been off all day. Smacking himself on the forehead, he turned it on as he walked to his apartment. Within moments, the cell phone went crazy, indicating that he had six missed calls and four new voicemails. He quickly called his voicemail, punching the code so he could hear the messages.

_'Hey pal. It's me, Gumshoe. I called ya twice and ya didn't pick up, so I figured I'd better leave a message. I know I'm not supposed to talk to you about this stuff, but we've got a murder on our hands and I just __know__ she didn't do it. Crud, I gotta go—' _The voicemail cut off after someone in the background began shouting angrily.

_'Mr. Wright.' _This time, it was Kay Faraday's voice greeting him. _'I seem to have gotten myself into some trouble, and I need your help. I'm being accused of murder, so I'm assuming you know where to find me. Please, at least hear my testimony.' _

Realizing that he had a new case on his hands, Phoenix saved the voicemail and checked his watch.

"Blast! Visiting hours are over. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning." Phoenix sighed and resumed playing his messages.

_'Gumshoe here again. Listen, pal, I wouldn't be asking ya for help, but I'm desperate… It's Mr. Edgeworth. The girl, the suspect I mean, she's a friend of his and… it doesn't look good for her. If you won't take the case for me or her, do it for him. Please.'_

Phoenix was walking in the door of his apartment when the final message began to play.

_'Wright. I am calling to request your help in a matter most urgent. You… you are the only one who I can trust. The suspect in this case is innocent, and I need you to prove it.'_

And with no warning, Edgeworth's voice simply stopped and the mechanical voice of the answering machine began to speak.

_'End of new messages. To listen to your messages, press—' _it prattled on as Phoenix slowly sank onto his bed, not bothering to change from his jeans and gray sweatshirt. Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth, had just called and asked for his help.

_**'He **__**needs**__** you. He **__**cares**_ _**about you.' **_Kay's words from days ago resonated in his mind, taunting him until he finally drifted to sleep.


	12. December 12

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713) Total (4610)

A/N: So so so so so sorry it's been so long! I lost internet for awhile, then got caught up in the stress of moving. Seriously. My stuff has been in boxes for like. Three weeks now. I feel like a hobo. Anyways, if you're still here, thank you~ I'm going to start updating as much as I can, which should be fairly frequently over these next few days. I'm talking like. Twice a day updates. So yes. Merry Christmas!

December 12

Edgeworth had woken up with a feeling of dread in his stomach. Getting a call from Gumshoe not five minutes after his awakening had only increased that feeling. But it wasn't until he saw the suspect's name in the case report that he realized what he was feeling so unsettled about.

"Hey Edgeworth." Kay greeted him cheerfully as he took the seat across from her. The glass separating them was dirty with fingerprints and smudges, and slightly obscured his view of her face, but he could still see the fear written clearly on her features. Nonetheless, she still smiled as she spoke. "What brings you here?"

"…I'm the prosecuting attorney on your case."

"Oh." She frowned. "So… I'm pretty much hosed, huh?"

Edgeworth didn't answer, causing the smile to fall from her face as she ducked her head. After a moment, he could see her shoulders shaking and heard small sobs escaping her.

"Kay… I'm not going to let that happen. I know you're innocent, and… I know someone who can help."

Slowly, her head rose and a tiny smile once again graced her lips. "Mr. Wright?"

"If anyone can save you, it's him." He confirmed, looking at her in confusion as he saw her gaze drifting over his shoulder and her smile broadening.

"I'm sure he's flattered. Right, Mr. Wright?" Kay giggled.

Edgeworth turned slowly, frowning as he saw the aforementioned lawyer. "Wright."

"Edgeworth." Wright nodded stiffly. "Welcome back. It's been awhile."

"Has it?" Edgeworth shrugged in response, trying to ignore the way his heart beat a little faster as those dark eyes fixed on him. "Ahem. Regardless, thank you for coming. I confess that I did not know who else to call."

"Wait… you called him?" Kay asked in surprise.

"Of course. Why else would he be here?"

"I mean when I got into this mess, I thought you would have wanted me to call him… and I… I kinda called him already." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "I mean, please don't be mad, I didn't think you'd call him and I—"

"You're in good hands." Wright quickly cut her off with a reassuring smile, moving to take the seat next to Edgeworth. As Kay smiled gratefully at him, Edgeworth also gave him a look of gratitude.

"Now… what kind of odds am I up against?" he grinned, and Edgeworth rolled his eyes in response.

"This should not be too difficult of a case for you. Although we do have…several pieces of incriminating evidence against Ms. Faraday, we also have a second suspect in custody. Because of this, I was able to convince the judge to give us three days of investigation. On the fourth day, we go to court." As Edgeworth spoke, he pulled out a file from his briefcase. "Enclosed you will find a copy of the victim's autopsy report as well as photographs and detailed descriptions of all of the evidence we've gathered so far that incriminates your client. That is the only assistance you will be receiving from my department."

Wright gave him a strange look as he took the folder warily. "…thank you?"

"That being said, Detective Gumshoe is on this case, and I doubt he will be able to keep anything from you." Edgeworth's mouth quirked upwards slightly.

"Mr. Wright." Kay knocked on the glass. "He's helping you out. This is kind of a big deal for him. Assisting the enemy and all that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Kay." Edgeworth glared at her, rising to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another suspect to interview and witnesses to get testimonies from."

"Um, Edgeworth?" Wright's voice stopped him as he walked toward the door. "Would you maybe want to get some coffee, erm, tea for you tomorrow morning? Compare notes?"

Edgeworth frowned. 'Comparing notes' with the attorney going against him in this case wouldn't be unheard of, but it was highly inadvisable since he was, of course, 'the enemy'. But perhaps… Since there were two suspects… It would be alright just this once.

"The coffee shop across the street from the crime scene. Eight thirty. Don't be late." Edgeworth gave him a warning look, then nodded to Kay before exiting. He had a long day ahead of him.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556) Total (6166)

((A/N: To the reviewer who claimed the witness prize, I have to apologize and humbly request your forgiveness. The character you requested would be strange to have her as part of such a case. However, I promise you that she will make an appearance!))

December 13

Despite Edgeworth's warning, Phoenix found himself arriving at the coffee shop at eight forty-five. He was thrilled to see that Edgeworth was still there, though he looked more than slightly annoyed.

"Hey, thanks for waiting." Phoenix said, taking the seat across from him. "Unfortunately, that one crazy lady was the security guard for this apartment building thing, and that woman never shuts up."

"Much like a certain defense attorney." Edgeworth smirked.

"Yeah, much like—Hey! I shut up sometimes!" he protested.

"Hm, I'm sure." The small smile didn't disappear. "Now. Tell me what you've discovered."

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "There was a lot to take in. There are three witnesses, and one of em is a crazy old woman whose testimony took literally an hour. So… the victim's name was..." he quickly pulled out a notebook and flipped through it as he continued. "Mary Sue. The two suspects are, of course, Kay Faraday, and Sleven Stappey."

"Have you gotten a chance to speak with the second suspect yet?"

"No, not yet." He shook his head. "But it's fairly safe to assume that he's the true killer, right?"

"Never assume, Wright. You know what happens. Now continue."

"The crime scene is a sort of extended stay hotel, if I understood that correctly. The night of the crime, fourteen people were in the building, but only six were awake at the time of the crime. The victim, the two suspects, and the witnesses. The first witness I spoke with was the night shift security guard, Ms. Um…Oldbag." He noted that Edgeworth shivered slightly at the name, so he continued. "Esmerelda Mace, who heard that murder when it occurred as her room is right next to that of the victim."

"What was her reason for being awake? The murder occurred at 3 o clock in the morning, hardly a normal hour for a young lady to be awake."

"According to her testimony, the new Legend of Zelda game had just come out and she lost track of time playing. The owner of the building confirmed that this was normal behavior for Ms. Mace. The final witness is a young woman by the name of Pasha Lynn. She was apparently very acquainted with Sleven, according to Esmerelda. Unfortunately, she refused to testify until tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Edgeworth raised his eyebrows warily. "You are aware that tomorrow is the third and final day of investigation, are you not?"

"Yes, Edgeworth, I'm aware." Phoenix growled.

"And that we will most likely only get one chance in court? This witness could change the entire course of the case, and you're going to wait until the last minute to get her testimony?"

"…she hasn't given you her testimony either?"

Edgeworth frowned and shook his head. "She said she wishes to discuss it with…both sides of the case. Simultaneously."

Phoenix nodded. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow at the detention center. She said she wanted to talk to Kay as well. I didn't realize you'd be there too."

Edgeworth frowned. "Something is strange about this girl. I have to wonder if her testimony will truly turn the case around, or if it will simply be a waste of our time." Shaking his head, he took a drink from his tea, then continued. "What do you have in defense of your client, Wright?"

"Come on, Miles. I don't think I'm supposed to be discussing my strategy with the enemy." Phoenix teased, but his smile faded as he saw Edgeworth's grim stare. "…right. Um… to be honest. I don't have much. Kay says she doesn't remember anything except hearing a gunshot and climbing down the outside of her building to climb into the victim's open window, then she woke up in handcuffs. Neither Ms. Mace, nor Oldbag have interacted with her very much, so they can't give a testimony in defense of her character, and the fact that she admitted to scaling a building really doesn't look good for her."

"So what's your defense, then? Saying 'Oh, no, it was that other guy!' I mean, really. You're digging your own grave, Wright."

"Hey. Where's your faith?" Phoenix tried to smile, but Edgeworth's glare made his lips form into a grim line. "Okay, fine. I'll admit. I'm relying pretty heavily on Ms. Lynn's testimony. I mean, seriously. The police found Kay with _the murder weapon in her __**hand **_and fingerprints _all over the weapon and the victim's apartment._"

"…Wright. Don't you see how that information is impossible?"

"…what?"

"Please, Wright. You don't even know your client. Do you know what she does? She's spent the past few years living as a _thief. _She wears _gloves_, even as she sleeps. If she were to commit a crime, she would know how to avoid leaving fingerprints."

Phoenix frowned. "…I don't think that's a good defense to use in court."

"Of course not." Edgeworth waved him off. "but having that knowledge should give you the proper questions to ask. Such as, perhaps, _who_ removed her glove. _Who_ knocked her unconscious that night. Perhaps if you were to find that glove, you would find the true murderer." With that, he rose to his feet. "Unfortunately, I have a great deal to do today and don't have time to spoon-feed you all the answers. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Y-yeah." Phoenix had fallen deep into thought at Edgeworth's words and looked up as Edgeworth walked away.

"Oh, and Wright?"

"Hm?"

"…Good luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, you're Sleven Stappey?" Phoenix asked, taking in the male on the other side of the glass. According to his profile, Sleven was twenty-two years of age, taking a break from college for 'health reasons' that had yet to be confirmed.

"Yup, that's me." The suspect smiled broadly, leaning back slightly in his chair. "You must be Mr. Wright, the murderer's defense attorney."

"My client is innocent until proven guilty." Phoenix replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me, have you ever met Ms. Faraday?"

"Met her? Geeze, are you kidding me? Look at her. Do you really think a girl who looks like that could start living across the hall from me and I wouldn't meet her? It's practically my _job_ to know everyone, Mr. Wright. Especially cute girls like her."

"…you are aware of the fact that my client is seventeen, correct?"

"Eighteen in two months." Sleven shrugged, easy-going grin never leaving his face. "Besides, it's not like I'm interested or anything. If anything, she is the one who totally has a thing for me. It's kind of cute, actually. She practically worships the ground I walk on."

"…really, now?" Phoenix tried not to let his disbelief show on his face, even as Sleven leaned closer, face suddenly serious.

"That's why she killed my girl, you know. Mary, she was a sweet girl. Beautiful, kind, and she tried to befriend Kay. But you could see the jealousy in her eyes. If you ask me, she's just as crazy as Pasha."

"Pasha?"

"Yeah. My ex. God. Knowing her, she's gonna come forward as a witness in this case. She… has all sorts of mental issues, Wright. Bipolar or split personalities or some crap like that. It's why she broke up with me. She gets these crazy ideas, like some sort of alternate reality or something. Says she can feel people's emotions, see things before they happen sometimes. She said, and get this," he laughed "that I was hurting her. _Me_. Like I could ever hurt a fly. Anyway, my point is, you really shouldn't trust her, or anything she says for that matter."

"Then what should I trust?"

"What I say, of course." Sleven looked at him incredulously. "Now do you want my testimony, or not?"

Phoenix pulled out his notebook and pen and motioned for him to begin.

"Alright. So I've been with Mary for like. Three months now. It's kinda become a tradition of ours that I go to her room late at night and we… you know." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Anyway. So, I go to her room at three in the morning, which is kinda normal for us, and then I see Kay, standing over her, with a gun pointed at her body. I panicked, and slammed Kay into a wall, knocking her out before she tried to off me, too. I call the police and for whatever reason, they take us both into custody. Probably because of something Pash said."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The girl comes outta her room, which is right across from Mary's and starts screaming at me, saying that _I _was the one that killed Mary and accusing me of all that crap. The police overheard her, I guess, and took her seriously. As if I haven't been through enough."

Frowning, Phoenix took a moment to review what he'd just written down before asking his next question.

"So…you didn't actually see the murder take place?"

"Nope, thank God. Like I need that sorta trauma bringing me down for the rest of my life."

Phoenix silently wondered how it was possible for a man to be so indifferent to the death of his own girlfriend, and somehow turn it around to be all about him. Deciding he'd had more than enough of this, for lack of a more appropriate word, douchebag, Phoenix said his goodbyes and headed back to his office. With any luck, tomorrow would be more productive.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558) Total (7724)

December 14

The next day, Edgeworth was surprised to see that Wright was at the detention center, sitting outside of the building a good half hour before their meeting was supposed to occur.

"Wright." Edgeworth greeted him, sitting next to him on the park bench after only a moment's hesitation.

"Hey, Edgeworth." Wright nodded, not looking up from his notes. "So… did you get Sleven's testimony?"

"Of course." He gave Wright a quizzical look. "Why do you ask?"

"I just… I don't know. Something doesn't add up with him. I was wondering if maybe you noticed something, too."

Edgeworth took his time responding. "Is this…about those Psy lock things?"

Wright's head snapped up in surprise. "Y-you know about those?"

"Wright, you made me use your magatama in a case once. I would never forget such a strange occurrence."

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, the defense attorney nodded. "Yeah… I guess I forgot about that. But with this Sleven guy… None pop up. But my gut still tells me something's wrong."

Edgeworth frowned, trying to make sense of what Wright was telling him. Despite the evidence piled up against Kay, it was painfully obvious that Sleven was the murderer. Yet… Wright had gotten his testimony, and _he hadn't lied._ Was it possible they were missing some bigger piece of the puzzle?

His train of thought was interrupted with the arrival of their final witness, Miss Pasha Lynn. According to her profile, she was nineteen years old, and yet a junior at a university not too far from the crime scene. She was not too much taller than Kay, and her hair was a light honey-blonde color. Her blue eyes looked over both himself and Wright before she spoke.

"Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth. Thank you for agreeing to my terms." Pasha smiled softly. "I know they were strange, but… I have my reasons."

She gestured to the building. "If you don't mind, can we go in? I'd like to check on Kay, and I would like it if she would be present for my testimony."

Edgeworth gave Wright a look. Seeing that the other lawyer had no objections, Edgeworth nodded his approval and they followed her into the detention center.

"Kay? You doing okay, sweetie?" Pasha greeted the younger girl.

"Hey Pash! Yeah, I'm alright. Mr. Wright is gonna save me." Kay smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well. I… know what happened that night. And I want you to know, too."

Kay nodded. "Okay… I'm ready to hear it whenever you're ready to spill."

Pasha looked over at the two lawyers and gestured for them to take the other two seats in the room. "You might as well get comfortable. I promise not to waste your time, but this is a long story, and there's not a lot I can leave out." With a deep breath, Pasha began.

"We met a year ago. We had both moved into the building at around the same time. He was…charming. And attentive. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship, so attentive was nice." She grimaced. "He said he had to take a semester off to recover from brain surgery. But he didn't even have scars or anything. It was… weird, but the oddness didn't occur to me at the time. I was enthralled with him, with his stories of overcoming the adversity that came with having a brain tumor, or whatever. We decided to move in together, and after four months of that, I met his mom. Before we went, he insisted that the whole 'brain tumor' thing was taboo territory and not to mention it. But I noticed that throughout the encounter, she would slap him. Right on the back of the head. _Which is where his supposed brain tumor had been._"

She shook her head and laughed. "But even then I shrugged it off. He said he had serious trust issues, that he'd never _really_ be able to trust me if I wouldn't…" She shook her head. "Anyway. After six months of being together, I stumbled on his medical file. Nothing. No record of any surgery or anything. I confronted him that night, called him out on his lies, wanting to know why he did it. By the time I realized that he had manipulated me for one purpose and one purpose only, it was too late. He wouldn't let me break up with him. He said we were _soulmates_. Locked me in his room and screamed at me, said he knew he should have never trusted me when I would just go and hurt him like that. He said he just couldn't see why someone as broken and obviously unwanted as I was couldn't want him. Needless to say, I moved out that night, got a room the floor under his. He would come to my door every night and pound on it, demand that I let him in. I never did."

"Sorry for interrupting, but what does this have to do with the case?" Edgeworth frowned.

"Everything." Pasha retorted. "I'm getting to it, I promise. Anyway, about three months after we broke up, Mary moved in across the hall from me. Honestly, I hated her. She was annoying, tried too hard to be perfect, and, much like Sleven, she believed herself to be the greatest thing on this earth. But… I still tried to help. Even when she started dating him, I warned her that he was a pathological liar. But she didn't believe me. And after Kay moved in, the fighting started. It was always really loud, and I'm surprised it didn't wake anyone else up."

"Wait… you mean I was the reason they started fighting?" Kay asked, eyes wide.

Pasha gave her a compassionate look as she nodded. "I'm afraid so… Mary didn't like you all that much."

"But… I thought we were friends! Why wouldn't she like me?"

"She thought you were pursuing her boyfriend."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because Sleven told her, of course! And she could see the way he would watch you, how often he would bring your name up in conversation. Part of it was to bait her, so she would want to keep him more, but part of it was…"

"Was what?" Kay was biting her bottom lip now, worry evident on her features.

"Sweetie, Sleven wanted you." Pasha spoke slowly and looked away from the girl behind the glass. "He always had a thing for corrupting innocence." She laughed darkly. "So he started baiting Mary, making her want to fight for him. It was sick, seeing how much he wanted Kay and yet he still told Mary those lies to get her to fight for him. But deep down, he wanted her to eventually get so fed up with the drama and break up with him, that way he could freely go after little miss jailbait over here." She smiled teasingly, then frowned again. "But…it didn't work. She only became clingier, and the nightly fights got worse."

"Do you have someone in the building who can attest to their 'nightly fights', as you said?" Edgeworth asked.

"Of course. Esmerelda lives right next door. If there was anyone else who could hear them, it would be her."

Edgeworth gave Wright a look, and the defense attorney quickly flipped through his notes until he found Esmerelda's testimony.

"It says here, and I quote, 'Ohmybacon. Mary and Sleven were freaking toxic for each other. I have never heard two people fight as much as they did and still stay together.' End quote." Phoenix shook his head. "I like how that flippant comment has suddenly become a major piece of evidence."

"So then what happened the night of the crime?" Edgeworth prodded the young woman, attempting to get them all back on track.

"See, now that's a short story. I was awake, listening to them fight. It was more…angry sounding than their previous fights. Their words were always pretty muffled, but I could always make out the same words, every time. 'Do you love me or not?' was their favorite thing to yell at each other." Pasha laughed. "But that night… it was different. She shouted that phrase, he shouted the words 'Of course not!' and then the screaming got angrier. Next thing I know, I hear a shot. I open my door and see Kay swinging in through the window and Sleven knocking her unconscious. He took off her glove and carried her body around the room, making fingerprints, then finally wraps her hand around the gun and lays her body down. The whole time he's doing that, he's on the phone with the police. Once he hangs up, I run out and start screaming at him." Her eyes widened slightly. "His eyes… they were strange. So calm and peaceful for what had just happened…"

"How do you expect us to believe you? Where is your proof that what you said is actually what happened?" Edgeworth cut her off, eyes unreadable and tone sharp.

Pasha smiled gently. "Simple. Go find her glove. It's probably in his apartment, or on his person."

Edgeworth exchanged a worried glance with Wright.

"I'll check the apartment. You get your people to pat him down." Wright finally decided, placing a hand on Edgeworth's shoulder. "If she's right, we've just solved this case."


	15. December 15

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660) Total (9906)

((A/N: Chapter Warning: A naughty word is used. That's about as graphic as this fic is going to get. And next chapter brings back the Christmas fluff, yay!))

December 15

Phoenix paced nervously through the defense lobby. To his dismay, he hadn't found the glove in Sleven's apartment the previous day, but what they had found was a piece of evidence that could easily turn the case around. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough unless they had the glove, and he'd heard no word from Edgeworth on whether he'd found it or not. They'd already spent several hours in the courtroom, cross-examining the witnesses as well as Kay. Now, in the final stretch of the case, they only had to cross-examine Pasha, and the ever-confusing Sleven. Having broken no psyche locks on him, Phoenix felt less than prepared.

"Hey. Mr. Wright." Kay tapped him on the shoulder, pulling him out of his thought. "Um, if it's not too much to ask, could you look a little less worried? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be the one who's freaking out, not you."

Despite her carefree smile, Phoenix could see how nervous she really was. He offered her a hopefully reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about, Kay. We've practically won already—"

"Don't be ridiculous, pal! Mr. Edgeworth is creaming you, and he doesn't even believe what he's saying." Gumshoe cut him off as he joined them. "The way things are goin, he'll have Kay behind bars!"

"Gumshoe!" Phoenix glared at him. "I haven't delivered my main points yet—"

"You better have something incredible up your sleeves, pal. I have no idea how you're gonna turn this one around."

Pasha gave her testimony, almost word-for-word what she'd already told Phoenix and Edgeworth, and everyone could see the unease on the judge's face. Up until that point, they'd gotten nothing but vague testimonies and baseless conjecture about what _might_ have happened that evening. And yet, here stood a witness, claiming to have seen everything.

"The defense has no further questions, your Honor." Phoenix took a moment to give Kay a reassuring smile.

"Hm, this is quite a development, yet neither the defense nor the prosecution seem surprised at her testimony… Don't tell me you both already knew!" The judge blinked in surprise.

"I make it a point to have every detail of a case before going to court, unlike my opposition." Edgeworth bowed, glancing up to shoot a smirk in Phoenix's direction. The defense attorney chose to ignore it as Edgeworth continued to speak. "Yes, I spoke with Ms. Lynn before the trial, and I understand that her testimony could very possibly turn this entire case around. However, you know as well as I do, your Honor, that without evidence, testimony is useless. So now I must ask you, Wright. Where is your evidence? Do you perhaps have the glove she spoke of? Or perhaps proof that Mr. Stappey is as insane as she claims?" He raised an eyebrow as he issued the challenge, causing Phoenix to groan inwardly.

"Yes, Mr. Wright. Where is your evidence?" The judge echoed.

/He never makes things easy for me, does he?/ Phoenix shook his head, clearing his mind before he spoke. "N-no, Your Honor. I do not."

Edgeworth smiled triumphantly and shrugged. "I thought not. Now, if I may, I would like to call my final witness to the stand."

"Oh? And who would that be?" Even as the judge asked, Phoenix knew who would be taking the stand. Just as he thought, only moments later, Sleven Stappey stood before the court, just as relaxed as he had been when Phoenix had questioned him days ago.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation."

"Sleven Stappey. I'm normally a student, but I took a semester off."

Phoenix took a deep breath then spoke up. "Mr. Stappey, where were you on the night of the crime?"

Once again, Sleven told his heroic tale, and it didn't surprise Phoenix to see the judge nodding in agreement.

"You truly are a remarkable young man." The old man frowned. "How unfortunate that you've been through such an ordeal."

Sleven shrugged good-naturedly. "It's alright. I mean, everything happens for a reason, right?"

"Does the defense have any questions?" Edgeworth asked, shooting Phoenix a warning glare.

"Um, yes. If it's alright, I'd like you to testify about…" he paused, thinking about what to ask. _/Should I ask about how he knocked out Kay? His relationship with Pasha? His relationship with Mary?/ _Finally, he decided. "Your relationship with the victim, Ms. Mary Sue."

"Sure. I mean, what's there to testify about? We were together, she died, now we're not. That's kind of the end of the story, right?"

"Please, be more specific. Would you say your relationship with the victim often involved arguments?"

Sleven laughed. "Of course, but what couple doesn't fight?"

Phoenix looked through the court record, looking at a photograph he'd taken and hoping he was on the right trail.

"Now, would you say you were…protective of the victim?"

"I would have given my life for her." He replied fiercely.

"Yes, but that wasn't the question."

"Of course I was protective of her. What guy wouldn't be protective of his girlfriend? I never wanted anything bad to happen to her. Not if I could prevent it."

"Hm. So you took an interest in her life… Made it a point to know that no matter what she did, she'd be safe?"

"Hold it!" Edgeworth declared. "Wright, stop wasting the courts time. What does any of this have to do with the case?"

"Everything!" Phoenix retorted. "Now, Mr. Stappey, would you mind taking a look at this and telling me what it is?" He handed the witness the photograph he'd been looking at throughout the entire trial.

Sleven gave him an odd look. "This is…in my apartment."

"Yes it was. Now would you mind testifying to the court about it?"

"Um, I guess not." He shrugged. "It's a chessboard. Kind of. If you look, you'll see that there are also checkers pieces, and pieces from an old Japanese game, Go."

"Go is Chinese, but please continue." Edgeworth crossed his arms warily.

"Right. Anyway. I use it to keep track of life and stuff."

"And how does it help you do that?" Phoenix pressed.

"Simple. This piece here," he pointed to the black King piece. "…is me, because the game revolves around me. That piece," he gestured to the black Queen, which was sitting next to the black King. "…is obviously Mary. This red checker piece here is Kay, 'cause her movements don't really vary too much and thus, she's very predictable."

"Hm. And what exactly is the King doing?"

"Putting the Queen in check mate, of course." Sleven looked at him as if he were crazy. "The Queen decided she wanted to switch sides, to become the White Queen… but that's not how the game works. So the rules had to be changed. The King had to be given freedom of movement—"

"So he killed her?"

"Objection!" Edgeworth shouted at the same time Sleven shouted "Exactly!"

"But how would putting the Queen in check mate and killing her give the King freedom of movement? Isn't the King still a King?" Phoenix continued pressing, ignoring Edgeworth's 'Objection!'.

"With the fall of the Queen, a new game can begin." Sleven laughed. "But until she was gone, the King was condemned to his limited movement. So he had to use another piece, someone to move for him. To bring the Queen to him so she could be defeated. And that's where this piece came into play. The Queen was unfamiliar with the way of Checkers, and it angered her. So she came to the King with the intent of harming him, but she walked right into his trap and…bang! Down with the Queen! And it had been done so skillfully, all eyes would go to the checker's piece, blaming it for her fall…" Sleven's eyes had glazed over slightly in his rant.

"So you admit to killing Mary Sue?"

"Objection! He would never murder his own girlfriend!" Edgeworth shouted. "You're grasping at straws!"

"Objection! He practically just admitted it!"

"Hold it! He was speaking in metaphors!"

"Take that!" Phoenix slammed a small notebook down on the table, then handed it to the aide to take to Edgeworth. The latter flipped through it, clearly unimpressed, until he came to a certain page.

"This is…"

"The victim's diary." Phoenix placed his hands on his hips and nodded triumphantly. "She was aware of the chessboard, she knew what it meant, and she believed that Sleven would attempt to end her life if his chessboard was anything to go by."

"God, but she was beautiful when she cried…" Sleven murmured absentmindedly, still lost in his own thoughts.

"…the defense has no further questions."

And there it was, a classic turnabout. Even without the glove, Phoenix had managed to pull the clarity of truth out of the murky waters of the case. Kay was pronounced 'Not Guilty', Gumshoe threw confetti, the courtroom erupted in applause, and Sleven looked around in disbelief.

"He believed his lie so much that it became his truth." Edgeworth remarked, joining Phoenix in the lobby. The defense attorney shook his head, still reeling from how insane the case had been. Pasha and Esmerelda were sitting next to Kay on a bench, celebrating with her. As the security guards escorted Sleven past them, Phoenix heard Pasha cheerfully call out "Don't drop the soap, bitch!"

Edgeworth pretended not to hear that while Phoenix laughed.

"Would you like to grab lunch or something? We've had a long couple of days and a peaceful, non-work related meal might be good." Phoenix suggested as Gumshoe joined them.

"That would not be too unpleasant." Edgeworth tilted his head and Gumshoe nodded enthusiastically.

"C'mon, Kay!" the detective called to the now-free girl. "It's time for the celebratory dinner! Wright's buying!"

"When did I say that?" Phoenix tried to protest, but Edgeworth was already ushering him out the door.

"Come, now, Wright. It's the holiday season. Where's your Christmas spirit?"


	16. December 16

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Total (10,575)

December 16

Phoenix decided to spend the next day Christmas shopping. Having no idea what to get Maya and Pearl, he decided to call Gumshoe for assistance. Fifteen minutes later, a horn honked outside Phoenix's office building.

"Hey, pal! Ready to go?" Gumshoe greeted him, much more cheerful than he had been the day before. Phoenix quickly locked the building, then hopped into the passenger seat.

"Thanks for going with me today, Gumshoe. I'm not good with…kids their age, and you've always been really good with kids."

"Anytime, pal." Gumshoe laughed. "The key to their hearts is toys, especially with your girls. It doesn't seem like they've had much of a chance to be kids, what with all the mystical magic stuff they do, and I feel like you make them kids again. It's good for girls their age to feel like kids now and again."

Phoenix frowned, realizing how right he was. Maya had been forced to grow up at a young age, losing her mother and then her sister. And with Pearl, well it was obvious that she'd never been allowed to be a child because of the responsibility her mother had placed on her shoulders from birth.

"Maybe… you're right." Phoenix nodded slowly. "So… toys?"

"So many toys…" Phoenix's eyes widened as he looked around the toy store. "So, what, do I just pick random ones?"

"No way, pal! Ya gotta get em something they'll like. Here." Gumshoe pushed the shopping cart in front of the lawyer. "You drive the cart, and I'll show ya what to get, okay?"

Phoenix nodded his assent and they began walking through the aisles. It seemed like there were endless amounts and types of toys .He had no idea how Gumshoe would be able to tell what to get them.

"Maybe one of those?" Phoenix suggested, gesturing towards a toy train set.

"Pal, you really have no idea what you're doing, do ya?" At Phoenix's reluctant nod, Gumshoe chuckled. "So just leave the shopping part to me. With the girls, you want stuff like that, over there…" He gestured to a display of dolls, then to a Silver Samurai display case. "And you can definitely never go wrong with the Silver Samurai. Maya's his biggest fan, isn't she?"

"Aside from Edgeworth, from what I've heard." Phoenix grinned.

Gumshoe paled slightly. "We, ahm, we don't talk about that, pal. It's his secret, and he wants it to stay that way."

"What do you me—"

"We don't talk about it!" Gumshoe cut him off "And that's that."

Phoenix gave him an odd look, wondering what would happen if he were to confront Edgeworth about his Silver Samurai addiction. Judging by Gumshoe's reaction, he might not live to regret doing so.

Five hours and almost two hundred dollars later, Phoenix and Gumshoe returned to Phoenix's home for what Gumshoe called a 'crash course' in present wrapping.

"…and when you're done, ya gotta hide em! So they can think Santa brought em!" Gumshoe explained as they finished tying bows on the gifts.

"Santa? I mean… the girls have been raised…differently. Wouldn't introducing Santa to them so late seem strange?" Phoenix asked, fumbling with some of the ribbons. "Bah, I'm no good at these."

"I'll get it for ya, pal." Gumshoe offered, plucking the package from Phoenix's bumbling grasp. "And of course! You gotta do Santa for them! That's one of the biggest things I remember from my childhood is believing in Santa and waiting for Christmas to get here so he'd show up!" His eyes glowed as he continued, fixing the present as he spoke. "And there's no feeling better in the world than going to bed on Christmas Eve with an empty tree then waking up on Christmas morning and seeing all the presents that Santa brought! It made me believe in miracles, pal! And if you ask me, these girls could use some hope."

Gumshoe handed him the now-decorated present with a broad smile. "And that's how it's done."


	17. December 17

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610) Total (11,185)

December 17

Edgeworth finished packing up his briefcase before exiting the courtroom. He'd had a long day and he was more than ready to go back to his home and drink a cup of tea. But, as fate would have it, he was not allowed to have a peaceful end to his day.

"Hey, Edgeworth!" Wright's voice caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Hello, Wright." He replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Gumshoe said Sleven's trial was today, and I wanted to watch."

Edgeworth chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid to say that you're late. I was the prosecuting attorney for his trial and was able to prove his guilt in mere moments."

"So… he got the guilty verdict, then?"

"Naturally."

"Good." Wright relaxed visibly upon hearing the news. "I don't' know what I would have done if he'd gotten away with the murder of that poor girl."

"I don't know why you even thought he would walk free. He's guilty, and I've made it a point to pursue justice, thanks to your words." Edgeworth sniffed. "Honestly, Wright. It's as though you have no faith in my abilities as a lawyer despite my own faith in yours." He could see Wright blush slightly at his veiled praise and it made him chuckle lightly.

"R-right. Anyway, why don't I treat you to dinner or something?" Wright offered.

"I believe it is I who should be buying you dinner, Wright. As I recall, you bought last time, and I am still in your debt for defending Kay."

Wright's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah, sure. We can do that."

"Please, Wright. Contain your excitement at the prospect of dining with me." Edgeworth remarked dryly.

"Sorry. You just…never really seem to want to be around me." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I have no patience for those who act like idiots. But you… despite your apparent idiocy, you are actually quite intelligent." He shrugged as they began walking towards the parking garage. "And truthfully…you are my oldest acquaintance. I am learning that perhaps that ought to mean something."

Wright fell silent then, most likely lost in thought over something overly sentimental and nostalgic. Edgeworth tapped him on the shoulder briefly and gestured to his car. The other lawyer silently slid into the passenger seat, then gave him a look.

"Why did you leave? Erm, rather, why do you always leave?"

"Oh, so we're to have that conversation now?" Edgeworth sighed, starting the car and pulling out of the garage. "I leave because I have much to learn and I can't do that here."

"But…you could at least say goodbye. There are people here who worry about you when you just leave with no warning."

"Please, Wright. I'm an adult, aren't I? Why should I be forced to report my comings and goings to anyone?"

"You wouldn't be forced. It would just be nice to know that you're leaving the country." Wright crossed his arms. "I know that I mean nothing to you, but I spent my life trying to find you again. You're important to me."

Edgeworth blinked in surprise. "…that is interesting. Your _entire_ life, you say?"

"On and off." Wright admitted sheepishly. "But…then I read about you in the paper. And…I changed my major, went Pre-Law. And now…here I am."

"Yes…here you are. My greatest rival." Edgeworth smirked. "Now enough reminiscing. We're here to eat and talk of the trial. Not get lost in nostalgia."

Wright nodded slowly, and changed the subject immediately. But throughout the meal, he couldn't help but notice a slight sadness in the other's eyes. Perhaps it was something he'd said.


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610), Chapter 18 (992) Total (12,177)

December 18

Despite the somewhat awkward nature of their dinner the other day, Edgeworth still found himself walking up to the door of Wright's home the next day. He had been lured there with the promise of an as of yet unreleased Silver Samurai special, and his inner fanboy wouldn't allow him to pass up such an opportunity.

"Edgeworth! Glad you could make it!" Wright greeted him happily. He frowned in confusion before realizing that he was not the only one present. Gumshoe and Kay were already seated on the recliner and couch respectively, arguing over a bowl of popcorn.

"Hey Mr. Edgeworth!" Kay smiled and waved. "I'm glad you came! Detective Gumshoe and I had a bet… He didn't think you'd show. So now he owes me a Coke!"

Edgeworth groaned, but took the seat next to Kay on the couch anyway. Wright took the seat next to him shortly after and started the movie.

Silently, he analyzed the movie, deciding it was nowhere as good as the series itself, but it was much better than the two-hour special they'd made the year before. But they had only made it halfway through the movie when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, was Maya coming, too?" Gumshoe asked with a large smile. "If we'd known, we woulda waited for her!"

"No, Maya's caught up with stuff at Kurain village…" Wright frowned, rising to his feet.

"Don't tell me it's a client." Edgeworth smirked. "I was under the impression you only got one a month."

"Hi, how can I help you?" Wright ignored him and greeted the visitor.

"Yes, are you Mr. Wright?" Edgeworth glanced over his shoulder to see a petite woman with dark hair, pinned on her head.

"Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?"

"I was told you could help me. I need to find someone and—"

"Mama?" Kay interrupted, jumping to her feet and rushing to the door.

"Mama?" Gumshoe and Wright echoed in surprise as the two females embraced.

"Oh, Kay, you've gotten so big!"

"Mama, what are you doing here?" Kay asked, pulling away to look at her mother. "Come in, come in! We have so much to talk about!"

"Um…what's going on?" Wright asked, confusion written all over his face.

"Oh, sorry! Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth, Detective Gumshoe, this is my mother, May Faraday." Kay's eyes sparkled as she introduced them.

"Your mother? You've never spoken of your mother before." Edgeworth frowned.

"Well… it's complicated." She shrugged sheepishly.

"I married her father and had her when I was very young. But, Byrne and I decided to go our separate ways after she was born. I had no income, no way to support myself. So, I let him raise her. In exchange, I promised to keep his name in case she ever needed to find me." Mrs. Faraday spoke. "Sure enough, ten years later, I get a call from Detective Badd saying that Byrne had been killed, and Kay was now alone. So, I took her to live with me and my parents. Everything was going well—"

"Until I found dad's diary and Little Thief."

"Little Thief?" Wright asked.

"It's a device she used to help me in my investigations, Wright. Please try to keep up." Edgeworth moved to stand next to him, then nodded to Kay. "Please. Continue."

"Then, I found out what he was, and I vowed to take up the Yatagarasu name." Kay replied. "Mama didn't approve, so… I ran away."

"I've been looking for her ever since she left, and it's been a year. I had almost given up hope." Mrs. Faraday continued. "But then, a few days ago, someone called and said that you would be able to help, Mr. Wright. I had no idea I would actually find her here." Tears were in the corners of her eyes as she hugged her daughter again. "I spent ten years without you, dear. I don't know what I'd do if I'd lost you again."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mama." Kay hugged her back. "I just…I had a lot to do. And you wouldn't let me take over the Yatagarasu name. I _had_ to, Mama! The Yatagarasu is an important part of society!"

"I know, baby. And I promise to try to understand that. But for now…Come home? It's almost Christmas, you know." The pleading look in her eyes did not go unnoticed as Kay reluctantly nodded.

"If you'd like, I can arrange for a flight to take you both home tomorrow morning." Edgeworth offered. "And in the meantime, I'm sure Wright would love for you to stay here."

To his surprise, Wright didn't protest. Instead, he nodded. "I don't have much, but the couch is a fold-out bed, and you're more than welcome to stay here for the night."

Mrs. Faraday shook her head. "Oh, no, I'd hate to impose. Besides, I already have reservations at the Gatewater Hotel. I booked a double in hopes I would find you."

"Wow. I get to stay at a fancy hotel? Count me in." Kay grinned. "Well, I'd better go pack, huh?"

Edgeworth patted her on the back. "Probably a good idea. I'll meet you both at the airport in the morning to see you off."

Kay wrapped her arms around Edgeworth's neck, pulling him into a brief hug before letting him go. "You'd better. We've been partners for too long for you to just disappear out of my life with no warning."

He was suddenly reminded of his and Wright's conversation the day before, and he bowed his head. "You have my word."

The two Faraday women departed after saying their goodbyes. As the door closed behind them, Wright wondered aloud. "I wonder who told her I'd be able to find Kay?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Edgeworth saw Gumshoe scratch the back of his head and fix his gaze to the floor.

"Who, indeed?" Edgeworth smirked. "Good work, Detective."


	19. December 19

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610), Chapter 18 (992), Chapter 19 (267) Total (12,444)

((A/N: To anyone wondering about the randomness of Kay's mom, it was a request by the first reviewer of a few chapters back. I had a bigger part planned for her, but then I read that Kay was raised by her mother after her father died so…yeah. It wouldn't have worked. Anyway, Merry Christmas! And special thanks to schlo5398 who has been constantly reviewing despite all my failures. Four four you, schlo5398! ))

December 19

Meeting Kay at the airport was a mistake, Edgeworth decided as he stood in the middle of thousands of people, all trying to go one way or another to get home for the holidays. But seeing the girl's face when she saw him made it worth it.

"You came!" She exclaimed, hugging him briefly before pulling away.

"Of course. I gave you my word, did I not?" Despite his stiff words, he had a slight smile. "Are you ready to retire from your life of crime?"

"Not just yet." Kay grinned. "But…I'm ready for a little break. Trust me, when I'm back in business, you'll be the first to know."

"I look forward to that day." Edgeworth smiled. "But do me a favor and don't get yourself arrested. I would hate for our reunion to take place in the detention center."

"I'll do my best, but no promises." Kay glanced worriedly over her shoulder, hearing her mother call her name. "Well. Looks like it's time to say goodbye." Her eyes began to water, but she shook her head and looked up at him with a smile. "Take care of Mr. Wright, okay? He's good people."

He gave her a strange look. "Why?"

"Because you're crazy about him. And Gumshoe and I have a bet that you'll be together by the New Year. Don't let me lose that one." With a two-fingered salute, she turned to leave. "Till our next adventure, Edgeworth."

"Till then." And as he watched the two women board their plane, he found himself hoping their 'next adventure' wouldn't be too far off.


	20. December 20

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610), Chapter 18 (992), Chapter 19 (267), Chapter 20 (236) Total (12,680)

((A/N: Fun fact I wanted to mention earlier: Sleven Stappey and his stupid chessboard are actually based off of my ex boyfriend. Not even kidding. That psycho had a chessboard of my life set up in his room. Not even his life. MINE. At least my murderer was slightly less psycho and had the chessboard be of his own life. Anyway. Merry Christmas!))

December 20

Phoenix sighed as he opened the office. Things were always slow and strange whenever Maya wasn't there. Kay's case and trial had been a welcome distraction, and now that they were over, he felt lonely. Deciding he had nothing better to do, he called up Gumshoe.

"Hey, pal. What's going on?"

"Hey, Gumshoe. Do you think you could help me with something?"

"You forgot to get Mr. Edgeworth something, didn't ya, pal?"

"…yeah. Yeah I did."

"I'll be right there!"

"I'm not entirely sure what to tell ya, pal. Mr. Edgeworth is hard to shop for." Gumshoe admitted reluctantly after two hours of searching the mall for the perfect gift.

"That's why I called you! I figured if anyone would know what to get him, it'd be you." Phoenix frowned.

"Hey! I just thought of something!" Gumshoe smiled brightly. "Aren't you friends with the guy who plays the Silver Samurai?"

"Will Powers? Yeah, we've kept in touch over the years…"

"Why don't ya get him to sign something for Mr. Edgeworth? Like….a teacup or something."

Phoenix gave him an odd look. "Other than the teacup thing… that's not a bad idea."

"What can I say? Working with Mr. Edgeworth taught me that if people owe you favors, use em!"

As Phoenix dialed Powers' number, he realized what the perfect Christmas gift would be. "Hey, Mr. Powers… This might seem like an odd request…"


	21. December 21

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610), Chapter 18 (992), Chapter 19 (267), Chapter 20 (236), Chapter 21 (651) Total (13,331)

December 21

Phoenix had no idea how it is that he ended up at the Christmas party of the prosecutor's office. He remembered agreeing to help Gumshoe with something and then…a glass of eggnog being thrust into his hands as someone greeted him with a 'Merry Christmas'. Gumshoe introduced him to a few other prosecuting attorneys and detectives before getting distracted and wandering off.

"I need to stop dozing off in the car." Phoenix muttered, taking some sort of food object from a tray. If he was there, he might as well get something out of it.

"Wright. What brings you here?" Edgeworth raised an eyebrow as he approached the other lawyer.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged. "Ask Gumshoe."

"As if I need another reason to dock his pay." Edgeworth smirked. "At any rate. Now that you're here, I can have someone to commiserate with."

"Why? Aren't these like…your peers or something?"

"That does not mean I enjoy their company." He replied darkly, but then gave Wright a smirk. "No, I'd much rather be at home, alone, reading a book and drinking tea. Parties and eggnog are hardly things I take pleasure in."

"Hm. Then I guess we can commiserate." Phoenix clapped him on the back with a laugh. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge!"

"How am I a Scrooge? Simply because I do not enjoy certain parts of a holiday does not mean I despise it entirely."

"Really? Then please tell me. What part of Christmas do you enjoy?" Phoenix asked as they took a seat on one of the couches in the room.

"Bells." Edgeworth replied simply.

"Bells?"

"Yes, Wright. Bells. Growing up in the Von Karma household, we did not celebrate such 'foolish' things as holidays. But whenever we would go out, I always heard bells, and that told me it was Christmastime. Foolish, I know, but such are the things that one holds onto from childhood."

"That's…kinda sad, actually. You mean you never celebrate Christmas?"

"Of course not. We were Von Karmas. We had neither the time nor the patience required for such festivities. Yet somehow, my ears always had time to listen to bells."

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." Phoenix quipped.

"What sort of nonsense are you going on about now?"

"Really? You've never seen 'It's a Wonderful Life'?" At Edgeworth's frown, Phoenix sighed. "Okay, that's it. You, like Maya and Pearls, are far overdue for a _real_ Christmas. From now on, after work, you have to come over to my place so I can school you in classic Christmas movies. I'm surprised you're even familiar with a Christmas Carol."

"Wright, please, that's classic literature."

"Yeah, well, you're about to see it done right. With Muppets."

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am. Nothing says Christmas like singing puppets."

"I've never celebrated Christmas, but something tells me you are wrong."

"Well then you'll just have to see, won't you?" Phoenix laughed, taking a drink from his eggnog then frowning. "Gah, this stuff is awful."

"Try the punch. I'm fairly certain that was made by Kristoph, so it's not too bad." Edgeworth suggested as they both rose to their feet.

"Punch sounds good." He nodded. They were almost to the punch bowl when a young man poked him in the shoulder.

"Looks like you and Herr Edgeworth found some Mistelzweig." The blonde chuckled, gesturing to the ceiling above their heads.

"W-what?" Phoenix blinked.

"Mistletoe." An older man who looked similar to the blonde explained with a grin.

"Please, Kristoph. Are you really going to be that immature?" Edgeworth scoffed.

"Tradition, Herr Edgeworth." The younger blonde grinned. "Or are you unfamiliar with the tradition of having to kiss under the mistletoe?"

Phoenix rolled his eyes and leaned up to peck Edgeworth on the lips briefly. "There. Happy?"

And if Edgeworth was blushing, well, he'd just blame it on the eggnog.


	22. December 22

Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556), Chapter 14 (1558), Chapter 15 (1660), Chapter 16 (669), Chapter 17 (610), Chapter 18 (992), Chapter 19 (267), Chapter 20 (236), Chapter 21 (651), Chapter 22 (323) Total (13,654)

((A/N: Yup. In the last chapter I used the mistletoe cliché. And I did a cameo for the Gavins. Here's a random rant about my headcanon for this fic: Post-Miles Edgeworth: Ace Investigations. Therefore, post Trials and Tribulations, but Pre-Apollo Justice. Klavier was probably just hired as like. An intern or whatever at the office. He brought his big brother to the Christmas party because he needed a guardian since there would be alcohol/eggnog present. Therefore, this fic takes place shortly before the case which would end Phoenix's career. Which I like to pretend never happened. End of rant. I regret nothing. Merry Christmas!))

December 22

"Alright. Tonight is going to be a Muppet's Christmas Carol, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Tomorrow will be a Year Without a Santa Claus, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Then Christmas Eve we'll watch It's a Wonderful Life and Charlie Brown's Christmas. And I think that's all of the Christmas Classics you need to be educated on."

"Are you sure? Can't I just…read the books?" Edgeworth glanced around the apartment's living room warily as though some of the afore-mentioned creatures would come out and attack him at any moment.

"Nope, movies are a must." Wright shook his head.

"I have no idea why I even agreed to this…"

"Because deep down, you secretly want a real Christmas." Came the immediate reply. "Now sit tight and enjoy it while I get some popcorn and cocoa."

"Can't I have tea?"

"Nope. Cocoa and marshmallows are another Christmas classic thing. Trust me."

"I trust you in court. Isn't that enough? Why should I have to trust you with my beverage as well?"

"Think of it as a training exercise. In friendship or whatever."

Edgeworth rolled his eyes but fell silent as the movie began to play. It was strange, seeing both humans and odd-looking puppets dressed in period-appropriate clothing and interacting as if it was perfectly normal for puppets and humans to coexist. When the blue thing claimed to be Charles Dickens though, he had no problem voicing his protest.

"That creature is most certainly not Charles Dickens!"

"Yeah, well Will Powers isn't actually the Silver Samurai." Wright retorted as he took the seat next to him on the couch, drinks in hand. "It's called playing a part. And I think the Great Gonzo does a great job playing Dickens."

"The great what now?"

"Gonzo." When Edgeworth gave him a look he assumed was blank, Wright shook his head sadly. "Okay. After New Years, you're getting a Muppet education."


End file.
